Wheel changing tool



Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE WHEEL CHANGING TOOL Chancey D. Nellis, Aberdeen, S. Dak.

Application March 25, 1946, Serial No. 656,845

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tools and more particularly to a tool "for facilitating the removal and application of a motor vehicle wheel,

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a wheel changing tool having a pair of spaced lever arms which are adapted to bepositioned beneath a vehicle wheel, and another lever arm for use as a handle to permit the application of a prying and lifting force to the wheel to facilitate its mounting upon the wheel supporting studs.

Another object of the invention is to provide adevice of the character described above wherein the tool is collapsible to a. compact position so that it can be stored in the vehicle without occupying too great a space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the type such as described above which can be used, a lever device for lifting the wheel which has a hub cap removing portion, a lug wrench portion and other structural and functional features embodied in one tool and at the same time readily collapsible for convenient storage.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool and vehicle wheel showing the tool in its operative position;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tool;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view;

Figure 4 is a view showing the tool partially folded and in position for use as a lug wrench;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the tool completely folded; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

The device includes a cross member III which has a pair of lever arms I I and I2 extending outwardly therefrom at spaced points on said cross member. The lever arm I I, as best show in Figure 2, is positioned inwardly somewhat from the left hand end of the cross member II). A third lever arm I3 extends outwardly from the cross member II) from a point approximately midway between the lever arms I I and I2 and in a direction opposite to that of said arms I I and I2. Each of the lever arms II, I2 and I3 is provided at its inner end with a pair of spaced generally triangular plates I4, said plates being welded or otherwise suitably secured to the lever arms. The

2 spacing of the plates I4 permits them to fit over the cross member I0 relatively closely and each pair of plates is connected to the cross member It by pivot pins I5.

In Figure 6 there is shown a detail of the connection between the lever arm I2 and the cross member I0. It will be seen that the right hand triangular plate I4 in Figure 6 is provided with an aperture It in which a spring pressed ball I1 is adapted to fit. The ball I! rests in a bore It in the cross member IE! and a helical spring I9 normally urges the ball I! outwardly. This provides a yieldable retainer for the lever arm I2 and the structure is repeated in connection with lever arms II and I3.

The lever arm I2 has its outer and somewhat flattened end sharpened to provide a point 20 which is provided to facilitate the prying of hub caps from the vehicle wheels. The arm I3 is provided at its outer end with a removable nut socket 2| so that the device can be utilized as a lug wrench. When so used the arms II and ii! are folded in toward the cross member Ill and an auxiliary arm 22 which is pivotally mounted upon the lever arm ll is swung outwardly to the position shown in Figure 4. One hand of the user is adapted to be held against the rounded end 23 of the auxiliary arm 22 and the other hand can be used to spin the wrench by application of a twisting force at either end of the cross member ID.

The cross member I!) is extended to the left as at Illa to provide a portion of the cross member which can be conveniently gripped in the event a wheel lug is difficult to loosen.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a relatively simply constructed tool for assisting in changing vehicle wheels. The tool can be placed in the position of Figure 1 so that the wheel can be readily lifted with a lever action so that the operator can easily place the wheel with its apertures 24 in proper position to receive the studs upon which the wheel is mounted. Vehicle wheels ar relatively heavy and it is of considerable advantage to have something which will elevate the wheel properly without requiring direct lifting of the entire weight of the wheel.

The device, as described above, can be readily folded to the position of Figure 5 so that it can be stored in a relativel small spacing. Furthermore, the lug socket 2i is removable and replaceable so that the tool is adapted for use with lugs of different size and shape.

It will, of course, be understood that various 8 changes may be made in the form, arrangement, details and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a Wheel changing tool, a cross member, a pair of spaced lever arms extending outwardly from said cross member in one direction, a third lever arm extending outwardly from said cross member at a point approximately centrally of said pair of lever arms and in the opposite direction from that of said pair of arms, one arm of said pair having a pivotal connection with said cross member located laterally of the center of the arm a distance approximately that of the width of said arm, and the other arm of said pair having a pivotal connection with said cross member located laterally of the center of the arm a distance approximately twice that of the width of the arm.

2. A double use folding wheel changing tool, comprising a cross bar, a pair of arms pivotally connected to said cross bar adjacent opposite ends thereof and normally projecting when extended from one side of said bar to form both fulcrum levers for the tool in mounting a wheel on a vehicle and to also form opposed weighted arms of a speed wrench when the tool is used as a wrench said arms being pivoted to said bar to be collapsed one over the other against the bar, and a third lever arm pivotally connected to said cross bar intermediate said first arms and at th opposite side of said cross bar from said first arms in such relation that it may be folded against said bar, and a nut taking wrench head carried by said third arm at its outer end, said third arm when extended forming a handle for the tool in mounting a wheel on a vehicle and forming the support for said nut taking wrench head when the tool is used as a speed wrench.

CHANCEY D. NELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,401,272 Mocha Dec. 27, 1921 2,212,716 Noble et al Aug. 27, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,882 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1908 

